Among all the English novels I’ve read, Jane Eyre is my favorite. As one of the masterpieces of Charlotte Bronte, it reflects women’s earnest yearning for independence, freedom and equal respect which is the subject of Charlotte’s works. According to the author, the story is in part an autobiographical one. Charlotte Bronte published this book in 1847, which sparked an upheaval in literature, because at that time, women were regarded as incompetent in writing. Though condemned by some critic right after its publication, the book is irresistibly fascinating. The novel narrates experiences of a girl named Jane Eyre, who became an orphan when she was still an infant and later was adopted by her uncle, Mr. Reed. However, her kind-hearted uncle passed away a few years later, leaving her under his wife’s custody. Unfortunately, Mrs. Reed never accomplished her promise towards her husband to take good care of Jane. She, on the contrary, mistreated her niece. Finally Jane was sent to Lowood, a boarding charity-school set up by some benevolent-minded ladies for girls who had lost one or two of their parents. There she suffered a lot both mentally and physically. Ten years later, she left Lowood after she had received the employment of Mrs. Fairfax, the manager of Thornfield owned by Edward Rochester, with whom Jane fell in love and got married. But on their wedding day, Jane was told that the ex-wife of her beloved was still alive, so she left Mr. Rochester in grief. Later on, she arrived at a town and encountered her cousins; also at that time, Jane inherited a fortune and went back to her Rochester and they got married. I think the consoling ending comes from the author’s  optimistic attitude and from her hopeful mind. The main character entertains a strong idea that rich or poor, every individual in the world is born equal. Encouraged by that conviction, she bravely struggled with her unpleasant aunt and spoiled cousin, who used to bully her. Also she bore gratitude towards those who brought happiness and hope to her, such as Bessie the nurse, Hellen Burn and Miss Temple. Instead of compromising with odd destiny, she always kept herself ready to struggle with difficulties just as what she said,“If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard.”

Some descriptive paragraphs are really impressive from which I learnt a lot of techniques. For instance, the description of Jane’s three pieces of painting work is fairly intriguing.“The third showed the pinnacle of an iceberg piercing a polar winter sky: a muster of northern lights reared their dim lances, close serried, along the horizon. Throwing these into distance, rose, in the foreground, a head, - a colossal head, inclined towards the iceberg, and resting against it. Two thin hands, joined under the forehead, and supporting it, drew up before the lower features a sable veil; a brow quite bloodless, white as bone, and an eye hollow and fixed, blank of meaning but for the glassiness of despair, alone were visible. Above the temples, amidst wreathed turban folds of black drapery, vague in its character and consistency as cloud, gleamed a ring of white flame, gemmed with sparkles of a more lurid tinge.”Most importantly, I’m absorbed by Jane’s personality and faith. So I named myself after her. From Jane Eyre I’ve obtained the bravery to confront fate, the confidence to live in freely and independently, as well as sense of sympathy and self-esteem. To be short, Jane Eyre is my idol.